Biography

Photo
by David Eric Studio, 2004

Dennis Masuzzo was born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1953.
Primarily self-taught, he began his musical studies on guitar
at age ten, and double bass at age 15. Mr. Masuzzo earned his
B.M. and M.M. from The Juilliard School, as a double bass student of
David Walter.

He has performed in ensembles and orchestras directed by Leonard
Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Mstislav Rostropovich, Aaron Copland, James
Conlon and Jens Nygaard. He is a former member of Musical
Elements, the New York Quintet, and the New York Art Ensemble, and has
performed in Broadway orchestras for Bernstein's Candide and Gilbert
and Sullivan's Pirates
of Penzance. His performances have been recorded
by Columbia, RCA, Elektra-Asylum, Sony Digital, Musical Heritage, MMG,
Grenadilla, CRI, Opus One, and for Universal Pictures.

In a 1991 review in The
Strad, Marcia Young writes, "Eugene Kurtz's 1974 work, The Last Contrabass in Las Vegas,
shared a programme with three world premieres in the New York Art
Ensemble's February 25 recital at Merkin Hall. Essentially a
comic duet for contrabass and actress, Kurtz's work put bassist Dennis
Masuzzo and his instrument through their paces thoroughly, using surely
every method and device ever conceived for getting
sound out of a contrabass. The work's programme - the
gushings of a female fan of the instrument who literally goes mad over
it - is a clever idea and the occasion of lots of musical jokes.
Masuzzo performed masterfully and from memory."
While a double bass student at Juilliard, Mr. Masuzzo was the
guitarist with the Juilliard Contemporary Ensemble. He has
also studied with Joe Morello, legendary jazz drummer.

Mr. Masuzzo freelances in the New York metropolitan area and has been
bassist for the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, since
1991. He plays a guitar-shaped double bass made in 1833 by Vincenzo
Lucarini and uses a Henk te Hietbrink German bow.

Mr. Masuzzo lives with his wife, Leslie, and son, Benjamin in Upper
Montclair, New Jersey, where he teaches privately.